Lesson Plan – Sovereignty
Written by Nicole Bihr Menard
(Lakota) Lincoln (NE) Public Schools
Overview
This lesson will ask students to review
sections of A Seat at the Drum and
Spiral of Fire where the many issues
of tribal sovereignty are evident.
Students will be asked to research the
sovereignty issues facing a tribe that
resides within their state border. Then,
they will develop their own sovereign
nation. Students will concentrate on
how the concept of sovereignty is
special for Indian tribes and is often
central tocasino issues, and the
complex relationships between the
U.S. government, the states and Indian
tribes. Students will be asked to write
a research paper complete with an
example of what type of sovereign
government the student feels is most
effective.
My name is Nicole Menard. I was born in Gordon,
Nebraska and I am Oglala Lakota. It is with honor
that I speak of my family who are from the Pine
Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Most of my
immediate family now live in Denver, Colorado.
I recently received a Master of Arts degree in
American Indian Studies at the University of
Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. I am an English
teacher who is currently working with high school
expelled students in the Lincoln Public Schools
District. It is my life's passion to share my
experiences and assist at-risk youth in achieving
the gift of life long learning.
An Anglo family adopted me at birth, so I
personally relate to many of the topics presented in
Indian Country Diaries. I have used the following
activities and lessons with my students over the
years. I hope they will help other educators and
students explore and understand Native American
culture.
Grade Level 9 - 12
Objectives
Students will be able to:
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Define sovereignty as it relates to Native American tribes
Explain how the federal government is a component of sovereignty for Native American
tribes
Apply knowledge of sovereignty towards creating a mock sovereign nation
Lesson Plan, Sovereignty, page 1
National Standards All standards are from McREL's compendium of national standards,
http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/index.asp.
Understand the impact of territorial expansion on Native American tribes (e.g., the Cherokee,
Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole removals, the significance of the Trail of Tears, the
original lands held by various tribes of the Southeast and those held in the Old Northwest
Territory) (Standard 9, Level 2, 4)
Understand how early state and federal policy influenced various Native American tribes (e.g.,
survival strategies of Native Americans, environmental differences between Native American
homelands and resettlement areas, the Black Hawk War and removal policies in the Old
Northwest) (Standard 9, Level 3, 2)
Understand the shifts in federal and state policy toward Native Americans in the first half of the
19th century (e.g., arguments for and against removal policy, changing policies from assimilation
to removal and isolation after 1825) (Standard 9 Level IV, 3I)
Understand influences on economic conditions in various regions of the country (i.e., affects of
the federal government's land, water and Indian policy) (Standard 16, IV, 3)
Understand the interactions between Native Americans and white society (e.g., the attitudes and
policies of government officials, the U.S. Army, missionaries and settlers toward Native
Americans; the provision and effects of the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 on tribal identity, land
ownership and assimilation; the legacy of the 19th century federal Indian policy; Native
Americans responses to increased white settlement, mining activities, and railroad construction)
(Standard 19, Level III, 1I)
Understands influences on and perspectives of Native American life in the late 19th century (e.g.,
how the admission of new western states affected relations between the United States and Native
American societies; leadership and values of Native American leaders; depiction of Native
Americans and whites by 19th century artists) (Standard 19, IV, 3)
Estimated Time
Four days, depending on time allotted for research, organization and construction
Lesson Plan, Sovereignty, page 2
Necessary Materials
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Computers with Internet Access
Printers
Scanners
DVD copies of Indian Country Diaries or pages on this web site outlined below
Selections of books and web sites listed in Recommended Resources below
Construction paper
Glue
Colored Pencils
Poster Board
Student notebooks
Teaching Procedure
1. Students will view sections of Indian Country Diaries either on DVD or this web site.
Students will write down in their notebooks their initial reaction and thoughts about the
ideas in A Seat at the Drum and Spiral of Fire. Next, students will write what they
believe sovereignty means and give two to three specific examples of each concept. Have
a class discussion about their questions or concerns. If students do not have any topics to
discuss, items three and four have questions that will get them thinking about
sovereignty.
2. Have students review pertinent vocabulary:
• Sovereign: independent of all others, an independent nation.
• Tribe: a group of people who have a common ancestry which includes a common
language, history and culture.
• Nation: a stable, historically developed community of people with a territory,
economic life and distinctive culture.
• Treaty: a formal agreement between two or more nations.
• Blood quantum: blood is a metaphor to describe descent, quantum refers to the
degree of descent of an individual.
• Descent: lineage, ancestry, from one generation to the next.
• Casino: a public building which offers various types of gambling entertainment such
as bingo, blackjack, keno, and slot machines.
Lesson Plan, Sovereignty, page 3
3. A Seat at the Drum: Choose one or more segments to watch from A Seat at the Drum.
Below are questions and ideas that students should watch for when they view the program
or view the video segments on this web site. Students will need to take notes.
What to watch for:
Background for Teachers: Mark
Macarro is Chairman of the Pechanga
Band in California. He says, "In 1995
is that our enrollment spiked to 60.
The following year it spiked to, I
think, 160. And then the year after
that, which I believe was 1997, over
430 submitted applications. What is
significant there is that in July 1995,
our tribe opened a casino." One of
powers of a sovereign nation is the
power to decide who belongs and who
doesn't.
Questions for Students: What are the
other powers that the Pechanga have
been able to exercise? How important
is a strong tribal economy to
sovereignty? Should the few tribes
that have successful casinos help out
members of the other tribes that may
not?
On the DVD
Chapter Nine
"Economic
Development"
On this web site
Economic
Development
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Casinos
Background for Teachers: Tribes are
supposed to be sovereign nations, yet
they are also dependant on the federal
government for various social
programs. The number of members on
tribal rolls can increase the amount of
support the tribe gets from the
government. Yet many tribes are
resisting the influx of people who
want to join.
Questions for Students: What do you
think should be the process of defining
membership?
Chapter Five
"Politics of Identity"
Voting Rights
Lesson Plan, Sovereignty, page 4
4. Spiral of Fire: Choose one or more segments to watch from Spiral of Fire. Below are
questions and ideas that students should watch for when they view the program or view the
video segments on this web site. Students will need to take notes.
What to watch for:
Background for Teachers: In Spiral
of Fire, former Principal Chief Joyce
Duggan is frustrated with the
limitations of sovereignty. "We're not
sovereign in this nation. If we were
sovereign in this nation we would not
have to depend on federal government
dollars. We would not have to go to
the state for gaming approvals. We
would be able to live independently in
our own nation, which is what we
were doing in 1838 at the time of the
removal."
Questions for Students: What are the
limitations on sovereignty? Are tribes
really separate nations? What powers
do they have?
On the DVD
Chapter Five
"Casinos &
Sovereignty"
On this web site
Sovereignty
Background for Teachers: In order
to build their new school, the
Cherokee had to go before Congress.
Corey Blankenship was a high school
student testifying for the tribe.
Questions for Students: Why did the
tribe have to do that? The tribe's
casino was paying for much of the
school; why did they still have to go to
Congress? Do you think you could
testify before Congress?
Chapter Four
"Education"
Education
Background for Teachers: Casino
profits have swelled the tribal budget,
and now there are more people
wanting to join.
Questions for Students: What were
the issues that the Cherokee were
facing in the program? How would
you decide who should be an enrolled
Chapter Six
"Politics of Identity"
Identity &
Assimilation
Lesson Plan, Sovereignty, page 5
tribal member or who should be
thrown out? Bo Taylor, from the
Cherokee Museum, says, "The minute
you say that you're Cherokee, I'm
going to expect something out of
you." What is it he expects?
5. After students have finished viewing the segment(s) and/or the web pages, and have
examined their notes, have them brainstorm what they NOW know about sovereignty.
Display those ideas on a board.
A. What is sovereignty?
B. What exactly encompasses tribal sovereignty according to the Native people in Indian
Country Diaries?
C. Are Indian tribes sovereign nations? Why or why not?
D. What role does the federal government take in relation to tribal sovereignty?
E. What role do states take in relation to tribal sovereignty?
F. Why is blood quantum important to tribal sovereignty?
G. How are casinos related to sovereignty?
6. Students will need access to computers, the Internet and library resources. It would be
great if they actually interviewed a member of a federally recognized tribe or someone
who sits on a tribal council, but it is understandable that access to those individuals is
limited in some areas of the country. Students will research a tribe's sovereignty that is
located within the borders of the student's specific state or a tribe mentioned in Indian
Country Diaries. The purpose of this exercise is to show that all tribes have different
forms of government. Also, some tribes have casinos; others do not. It is important to
explore why tribes have chosen their forms of government. Students will compile their
research into a presentation to share with the class.
7. Next, based on their research and their views of Indian Country Diaries, students will
divide into groups of four to five students. Each group will declare themselves to be a
sovereign nation. Students will need to discuss what form of government their sovereign
nation might choose. Students can discuss their research and their notes on the film as to
why they believe their choice of a government is ideal. Some choices of government
might be:
A. A representative democracy model with three branches.
B. A direct consensus model of democracy where the participants debate issues until
they reach a consensus.
Lesson Plan, Sovereignty, page 6
C. An authoritarian system where they select one or more leaders to make all the
decisions.
8. Students should also declare what rights and responsibilities their sovereign nation should
have and what symbols they might adopt. Some examples might be: flags, logos, basic
needs such as food, health care, education, laws, how those laws will be enforced and a
constitution. Students will also need to show how their sovereign nation will be supported
financially.
9. Students will create a poster board showing exactly how their form of government will
look and operate. All groups will present to the class, making sure that they discuss their
research on other tribes and Indian Country Diaries.
Assessment Recommendations
Students will be assessed on the following:
1. The final document on tribal sovereignty that they individually research. This will be
assessed using the Six Traits Writing Rubric. Information about the rubric can be found
on this site: http://www.webenglishteacher.com/6traits.html
2. Their group presentation to the class. See sample grading rubric.
3. Class participation and appropriate behavior towards other cultures.
Recommended Resources
The Indian Country Diaries DVD chapters and web pages listed above.
Canby, Jr., William C. American Indian Law Third Edition West Group, St. Paul, Minn., 1998.
Getches, David H., Wilkinson, Charles F., Williams, Jr., Robert A. Cases and Materials on
Federal Indian Law West Group, St. Paul, Minn., 1998
Oyate is a source for Native American education and culture resources at http://www.oyate.org.
Lesson Plan, Sovereignty, page 7